Why We Support the Canadian Cancer Society

For the last nine years, Yellow Pages Group’s employees have selected the Canadian Cancer Society (CSS) as the company’s charity of choice. Some employees choose to voluntarily give a portion of their dollars to CCS while the company matches donations made by them annually. Every year, we host the well-known Daffodil Day in our offices across the country, which represents another way for us to support this worthy cause. Moreover, many of our employees devote hours to volunteering with this charity in their own communities, on their own time.

It’s a cause that we hold close to heart. And now that the dust has settled, we wanted to provide our perspective on the recent media blow-up about the CCS investing more in fundraising than in research.

Essentially, this does not change the way we feel about our charity of choice. We have seen their volunteers working very hard to raise awareness of this cause and fundraising activities are a must in the fight against cancer.

As per their official statement dated July 6, 2011.

“Fundraising efforts enable us to contribute to cancer research as well as community services, prevention and advocacy. Our investment in efficient effective fundraising means we can direct more money to make an impact in the fight against cancer.”
(To read the full statement: http://bit.ly/qf4tzD)

Of course, research is a key component to eradicating cancer and improving the life of those touched by this disease. Certainly, we can’t blame researchers for wanting more commitment and funding directed towards what they do. But we also have to commend CCS for successfully raising awareness about cancer – especially when there didn’t always used to be – for supporting people diagnosed with cancer and their closed ones, and for promoting healthier living.

We are proud to support CCS and we will continue to do so as long as our employees continue to feel it’s the right cause for them.

Comments

John S

I think it’s wonderful that you support the Canadian Cancer Society. But you need to stay focused on the major themes right now which are: the businesses you are running, the shareholders who feel completely devastated at this point, the future of the current dividend which many elderly people are relying on (including those afflicted by cancer or some other awful disease), the quality of your management team which is regarded by many as questionable or even useless, your demoralized employees, and the way in which you generally relate to and treat the investing public — institutions and retail alike.

You are no longer in la-la land and need to face up to all of these realities if you want our confidence back.

Annie Marsolais

Hi John – As mentioned in a previous blog post (http://lifeinyellow.ca/2011/one-step-closer/), this is not meant to be a financial blog. This blog is about educating people about YPG and its people. Employees are the life and blood of a business and it’s important to continue investing in programs that are dear to their hearts. It does not prevent us from keeping a clear focus on our business fundamentals which you can see by reading other posts.

John S

Put yourself in the shoes of elderly Canadians who, on the advice of others, purchased stock in your company with much of their savings. They did this because of poor health, couldn’t work anymore and believed or were told this was a good investment with a stable income that would see them through the bad times.

Now they are confused, worried and even traumatized by the events of the last six months or so. Their health has gotten worse and they don’t know what to do. They are looking to you for guidance. What will you say Annie?

That it’s important to continue investing in charitable organizations? To be sure it is, but how does that assuage their grief? Try, if you might, to understand …

Annie Marsolais

Tim

Thanks for supporting the Canadian Cancer Society. it shows the company cares about the community. Although it is always about profit/lose but a company of this size should care about the community. good luck and keep up the good work.

Share this post

About the YP blog

At Yellow Pages, we’re dedicated to helping local businesses grow by connecting people and businesses like never before. We started this blog because we wanted people to know that we are not just phonebook directory publishers, we’re here to champion the new neighbourhood. Our experience spans over a century, and we’re taking all our insights and putting it in writing, here, for you. What better way to help businesses and consumers than to share our expertise with them?

Here, we share with you our thoughts on our industry, our challenges, current events and marketing trends and especially, what it is that we actually do now as a company and why we do it. And we want your opinions, your thoughts and your feedback.

About Yellow Pages Canada

Founded in 1908, Yellow Pages is a Canadian local search marketing pioneer with a century-long legacy of support for local businesses, local economies and thriving neighbourhoods. YP operates with the largest team of sales consultants nationwide and a deep understanding of Canadian communities coast-to-coast. The company offers a wide variety of online, mobile and print marketing products to help small businesses increase their visibility and connect with more customers, ultimately fueling the growth of Canada’s small businesses and local economies.